As vehicle control systems become increasingly complex, interconnected and accessible through wireless communication, these systems also become increasingly vulnerable to security attacks. Embedded controllers (for engines, brakes, etc.) are typically designed to withstand hostile physical environments, but often little attention is paid to the security environment. It has generally been assumed that software running on each controller, connected to a common bus, can be trusted (i.e., not infected with malware), although that philosophy is beginning to change.
The presumption of security safety is no longer justified as recent studies have shown that vehicles with internet connectivity and/or wireless interfaces such as Bluetooth and WiFi may permit a platform in the vehicle to become infected. Such a malicious platform can then reprogram other controllers on the bus and/or send messages to these controllers which are capable of causing catastrophic harm to the vehicle and its occupants. One approach to this problem is to implement specific and unique security enhancements to each individual embedded controller, but this may require significant involvement on the part of all Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) and may result in duplication of efforts or adoption of incompatible approaches.
Although the following Detailed Description will proceed with reference being made to illustrative embodiments, many alternatives, modifications, and variations thereof will be apparent to those skilled in the art.